Winward Casino Review

Winward features a 300-game casino with more than half of the titles also
available in mobile format. It allows for US players amongst most other regions
around the world and Bitcoin use comes with an even bigger welcome bonus
package. Players who don't mind buying into a prize pool tournament have a few
different options with the $15K Guaranteed daily promotion and the $200K
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday version.

The Breakdown

Overall

We could best sum this up as a middle of the road casino that increases their
appeal through some buy-in tournaments and a packed promotions area. Overall,
everything is good with enough games, plenty of variety, and high-tech graphics
and video. We'd like to see a progressive jackpot section and the elimination of
fees associated with some of the banking options.

Game Variety

You won't find a sportsbook or poker room, but you will find a fully stocked
casino that offers both video and classic slot games as well as video poker,
table games, specialty options like keno and scratch cards, and a dedicated live
dealer casino. For the number of games offered, the variety is quite decent.

Banking

Not only are we not fans of deposit and withdrawal fees, but 72 hours is just
too long for internal approvals because players then need to wait out any
additional turnaround time from check issuances or bank transfers. We do
acknowledge that there are some fee-free alternatives, but the policy is not
straight across the board. Kudos to Winward for offering Bitcoin though as it's
an excellent method for their US players.

Bonuses

There are a lot of different bonus programs aside from the welcome package,
and they do include some reload opportunities for players specifically looking
to extend their playing time by increasing their betting funds. The buy-in
tournaments are also a nice touch, but we'd like to see some more no deposit
offers or no additional money required games. Additionally, a 35 times rollover
can't be considered a reward.

Customer Support

We've seen some forums where players have a few consistent comments about
Winward's support, but we also see this casino's staff as being responsive and
quick to follow-up.

Mobile Casino

There's not a lot more you could ask for in a mobile casino. There are plenty
of games for playing on the go, and the site is easy to use even without a
dedicated app. With more and more mobile players, it might be handy to have a
special mobile bonus or tournament to appeal to them.

Overview of WinwardCasino.ag

An Engaging Experience

Winward is owned and operated by , the organization that also owns sister sites 21
Dukes, 7 Spins, 7 Reels, Black Diamond, Slots Village, Box 24, Casino Moon, Rich
Casino, and Thebes Casino. Pull up these sites, and you'll think you're on
Winward. They're all the same design with nothing but a few color changes here
and there. A few of these sites like 21 Dukes have been called out by players
for no or slow payments. Winward is a bit quieter with some different feedback.
It's licensed by the Curaçao e-Gaming Commission and self-promotes as having one
million players.

Ok for US Players, But There Are a Few Other Exceptions

The terms and conditions state that players must be in a legally authorized
jurisdiction to register and play on this site. The few geographic exceptions
are:

Afghanistan

Andorra

Anguilla

Aruba

Bermuda

British

Indian Ocean

Territory

Burundi

Cambodia

Cayman Islands

Chad

Congo

Costa Rica

Curaçao

Czech Republic

Democratic Republic of Congo

Denmark

Eritrea

Falkland

Islands (Malvinas)

Gibraltar

Guinea-Bissau

Haiti

Iraq

Israel

Korea (North)

Montserrat

Myanmar

Netherlands

Pitcairn

Romania

Saint Helena

Somalia

South Georgia

Sudan

Syrian Arab Republic

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Turks and Caicos Islands

Ukraine

United Kingdom

Virgin Islands

British

Yemen

Zimbabwe

Low to Get In, High to Get Out

Low $10 minimum deposits are allowed, but when it's time to cash out, you
need to have more banked. E-wallets allow for a minimum of $50, but you need at
least $500 for a bank wire and $300 for a paper check withdrawal.

Five Software Companies

Betsoft, Rival, and Octopus Gaming are put together for the main casino, and
Vivo and VIG (Visionary iGaming)
offer up the live dealer casino suite. Many of the games will be familiar to
frequent online players but, surprisingly, there isn't a progressive jackpot
section.

Buy-Ins Could Pay Off

There are a few types of promotions on this site including the deposit match
and a couple of raffles that are deposit-dependent. There are also some key
tournaments with some significant cash prizes available, but they require a cash
buy-in. $75 will get you in on the daily $15,000 guaranteed pool, but if you're
willing to risk $500, you're in the running for part of the $200K prize pot.

Bonuses & Promotions

One of the good things about this particular site is that it offers a variety
of bonuses and promotions and not just all deposit matches like so many online
casinos offer exclusively. The only issue we have with the alternative types of
contests and tournaments is that the price is a bit steep for some. The buy-ins
for the tournaments are $75 and $500. However, the drawing like the Mega Tech
Giveaway only requires $25 in wagering to participate, but you had to have also
deposited at least $100.

Five-Tier Welcome Bonus Program

Although it's originally promoted as a 200% plus 25 free spins welcome bonus,
it's actually a five-tier package. All that's required is a $10 deposit, but
there is a 35 times rollover requirement that applies to both the reward plus
the amount of the deposit. Free spins carry a 99 times wagering requirement on
any potential winnings that result. The five deposit matches break out as
follows:

1st: 200%

2nd: 100%

3rd: 100%

4th: 100%

5th: 175%

Bitcoin Welcome Bonus

If you're a
, you get a three-tier bonus, but it comes with a much higher
matching amount. The first three deposits are matched at 400% and then, of
course, the 35 times wagering still applies.

Smokin' Aces Monthly Blackjack Tournament

Players of Royale Blackjack, Multihand Blackjack, and Double Exposure can get
in on another "21" win. The monthly promotion pays the top winner $21K and
another $21,000 is then split amongst the rest of the top ten finishers. The
more bets you make, the higher you rise on the leaderboard.

$200K Guaranteed

We've already mentioned this, but you need $500 to be in the running for the
progressive prize pot. Once you pay, you get a point for every $1 you bet. The
top 20 finishers are paid out, and this is a Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
promotion.

$15K Guaranteed

It's the same concept as the $200K but this is a daily promotion, and the
buy-in is set at $75 as the prize pool is much less (but still pretty good!).

Mega Tech Giveaway

This is an August promotion, but the concept is repeated during different
time frames. A $100 deposit is needed, and then every $25 in betting equates to
one entry ticket. The prizes are awarded based on a random drawing from all
earned tickets.

Banking Options

Despite there being a one-page, easy to review table for each of the deposit
and withdrawal menu of choices, you'll probably still be somewhat confused.
We've been looking at the information and still can't quite make sense of it.
There are only four methods of depositing listed (Visa, Mastercard, ecoPayz, and
Bitcoin), but when you move over to the withdrawal section, Neteller and Skrill
suddenly pop up, and no Bitcoin is listed.

We'll chock it up to some oversights as we would assume that if you can cash
out with Skrill or Neteller, you can also deposit with those e-wallets. And, of
course, it only makes sense that Bitcoin users can transfer in either direction.
Just be sure to verify everything before you make any deposit into a player's
account.

Deposits:

Deposit Method

Minimum Deposit

Fees

Visa (Credit or Debit)

$10

Casino May Assess a Charge

Mastercard (Credit or Debit)

$10

Casino May Assess a Charge

ecoPayz

$10

None

Bitcoin

$10

None

Withdrawals:

Processing for cash outs requires an internal approval that could take up to
72 hours before the turnaround times associated with each financial method kick
in and finalize the process. There is a $4,000 per week maximum withdrawal limit
set by this casino.

Withdrawal Method

Minimum Withdrawal

Fees

Turnaround Time

BankWire

$500

$23

Up to 5 Business Days

Neteller

$50

None

Up to 24 Hours

Skrill

$50

None

Up to 24 Hours

ecoPayz

$50

None

Up to 24 Hours

Paper Check (via ATM Check)

$300

$20

Up to 7 Business Days

e-Check

N/A

$10 for Amounts up to $1,000 and $20 for over $1,000

3 - 5 Business Days

The Gaming Options

Game variety:

If this were a Betsoft-only casino, we'd have a different point of view but,
fortunately, some other companies are added to the mix to shake things up a bit
more. There are newer slots and classic slots as well as a well-stocked video
poker and specialty area.

Audio and video quality:

We don't think players will have any complaints in the quality department.
The games are presented well, and the graphics jump off the page. Open up a game
like Frankenslot's Monster and just look at the intro to it and you'll
understand why we say this.

Mobile casino:

182 games provide for more than half of the full collection in the mobile
format. What's even more important than the quantity, though, is the sampling of
every type of table and other game in a smaller format for players on the go.
Most of the specialty games are hosted as well as 140 out of 168 video slots.

Software:

Slots - 231 (162 on mobile)

It's nice to see that the majority of this section also appears on
smartphones as well. Fans of Betsoft gaming will recognize many of the titles,
but Octopus and Rival are welcome additions to that provide better variety.

Winward offers the new Betsoft game Fire and Steel for players who wish to
try out something new aside from their standard collection.

Video Slots 168 (140 on Mobile)

Sugar Rush Summer Time

Zombiezee Money

Reel Party

The Slotfather Part II

It Came from Venus!

2 Million B.C.

Rook's Revenge

Aladdin's Magical Treasure

Good Girl Bad Girl

Fire and Steel

We also want to note that a nice feature in the main casino area is the
promoted number of players that are active in each game. If you're not sure
about the most popular picks, you can easily identify them this way.

Classic Slots 63 (22 on Mobile)

Bingo Slot 3 Lines

Treasures of Pharoahs 3 Line

Hole in Won

Chicken Little

As the Reels Turn 1

Russian Attack 3 Lines

Diamond Progressive

Crazy Pizza

Sweet's Surprise

Bankroll Reload 5 Line

It's a bit odd that Winward wouldn't have a dedicated progressive jackpot
section, but slots are just available as video or classic menu items.

Video Poker - 38 (two on mobile)

38 games is a substantially sized video poker suite but it's surprising that
only two of these games would transfer over for mobile play, and they're the
most basic games of Deuces Wild and Jacks or Better.

Pyramid Aces and Faces

Deuces and Joker

Three Card Rummy

Multi-hand Bonus Poker

Jacks or Better

All American

Pyramid Double Bonus

Triple Edge Poker

Split Way Royal

Poker 3 Heads Up Hold 'em

Specialty Games (aka "Other") - 11 (nine on mobile)

You may already know most of these games. They're standard specialty
inclusions and aren't extremely unique, but they are fun and appealing to
players who go directly to these types of games bypassing slots and tables.

Keno

Scratcherz

Weed Whacker

Penguin Payday

Tiki Treasure

Casino War

Virtual Racebook 3D

Cast for Cash

Gunslingers Go

Beach Bums

Table Games - 20 (nine on mobile)

The bases are covered and then there a few variations that contribute to the
variety. These are computer-only games and don't include the live dealer casino
tables.

Customer Support

Summary

We've seen this website before in various colors and themes as it's a basic
set-up that doesn't go out on a limb to be different.

It is a nice looking site, though, and it offers pretty much everything that
players would be looking for in a casino that doesn't have a sportsbook or poker
room. The live casino is run by VIG and VIVO, so there's even variety in live
dealer action.

Starting With the All-Important Banking Service

Bitcoin is a great offering
for many players who are solely Bitcoin users, but the rest of the menu should
more than suffice most regular players regardless of their location. What we
aren't fans of, though, are the fees that accompany some of the methods. Yes,
you can get away with some free deposits by using ecoPayz or Bitcoin and
withdrawals are free with e-wallets, but there's also a minimum of $50 that
applies to Neteller, Skrill, or ecoPayz.

Players that prefer checks or direct bank wires will not appreciate the fees
that come with these particular options. To get a bank wire, you need to cash
out at least $500, and then it will cost you $23, and you'll wait up to five
days after the 72-hour internal processing to see your cash.

A paper check takes up to seven days and has a $20 charge assessed and,
again, a relatively high minimum set at $300.

Using Bitcoin will get you a bit more in the bonus area, though, as the
Bitcoin welcome bonus doubles the match percentage from 200% to 400% on the
first three deposits that a new player makes into their betting account.

And, Speaking of Those Promotions

There are so many that are deposit
related, but some buy-in options also complete the picture. $75 will get you in
on the $15K daily prize pool, or if you're feeling lucky and can cough up $500,
you're in on the $200K guaranteed pool with the top 20 finishers paid a portion.

It's not ideal to have all deposit related offers or buy-ins that are
similar, but at least there are some different types of opportunities as opposed
to just general reload bonuses. The 35 times rollover that applies to deposit
matches, though, is not very welcoming as it applies to both the bonus reward
and the amount of deposit combined. And, a 99 times wagering requirement on free
spins winnings is ridiculous.

The website is offered in five languages including English, French, German,
Italian, and Spanish and we also like the tally of the current day's winners.
When we took a peek, that ever-increasing number came in at $93,452. As long as
it's accurate, that's not too bad as players can see that there is money to be
won.

Winward does self-promote as having a million players, and it also features
the number of currently active ones at any given time which we saw as 2,455 on
the day that the winning tally exceeded $93,000.

Let's Talk Gaming Now

Betsoft games are widely discussed as you'll find some
loyal Betsoft players who go out of their way to seek out casinos that
specifically offer them. You'll also hear from those who aren't as impressed and
look for some alternatives. Fortunately, Winward offers both by incorporating
Rival and Octopus into their slot banks and table areas.

The casino is Flash-required, but once you're good to go, you'll appreciate
the experience as the graphics are crisp and clear, the buttons are large, and
the betting is easily accomplished and entertaining.

Verdict

There are many Betsoft casinos,
but Winward takes things to the next level by adding some other software to the
mix as well as a live casino with multiple tables on the full site and mobile.
There are plenty of games, some buy-in tournaments, and using Bitcoin ups your
bonus value. There's nothing special about the welcome bonus, but there are
plenty of fun games with top-notch quality and some fee-free options for
payouts.

FAQ

$75 and $500 is a bit too steep for my pockets. Are there other tournaments
available?

There is a Blackjack Tournament that is a leaderboard promotion that provides
a hefty prize of $21,000 for the winner and the same amount divided up for the
remaining top ten. Additionally, $25 in betting gets you a ticket into the Mega
Ticket Giveaway or other monthly promotion, but you would have had to have
deposited at least $100 already.

I dig in my heels when it comes to deposit fees. What can I do?

Unfortunately, credit and debit card use will most likely have some charge
assessed to their use even for deposits. But, there is an ecoPayz and a Bitcoin
option, and you only need to transfer in a minimum of $10. Both come with a
fee-free policy, so they are real viable alternatives.

Do they allow US players to register?

Players from the United States are allowed to register and play on this site,
and the Bitcoin financial option should help to easily fund a betting account
for players who have challenges in this area, especially from the US.